JACOB'S NEW DRESS

Jacob loves to swing on the monkey bars, race toy cars, and play with dinosaurs. One of his favorite areas in the room is the dress-up corner, where he tries on different outfits.  He enjoys it so much that he requests to wear a similar outfit the next day. Although he is teased and bullied, his parents and teacher offer much support, love, and honor his curiosity and creativity. 

Sarah and Ian Hoffman offer a gentle story about a boy who wants to wear clothes outside the norm.  By doing so they thoughtfully address the topic of gender non-conformity in this picture book story. 

For families and educators to share with children Pre-K to 2nd grade.

Books About Bullying- THE LITTLE BULLY BY BETH BRACKEN

   

Billy is a cool kid with many reasons to smile.  He has friends.  He is kind to people and animals.  He even has a great smile (even with a tooth sticking out!).  When a classmate continuously teases and berates him, Billy tries to stand up to the bully but the plan backfires.  Billy begins to internalize the comments and questions himself and his abilities.  Things get so bad that Billy refuses to go to school. Ultimately, Billy decides to put his feelings aside and tell the bully about the consequences of his actions.  Will Billy's statement make an impact on the bully? 
THE LITTLE BULLY by BETH BRACKEN would be great to share at home or in a classroom.

For children in Pre-K and up, and for adults and children to read and discuss together.

WHAT KIND OF A NAME IS STELLA BATS?!

This is a cute story about a girl in third grade who is getting teased about her name - a boy keeps calling her Smella! Seeing as her name is actually Stella, she starts thinking of a new name right away! It's bad enough her last name is Bats! The story is written like an autobiography, and Stella tells all about her parents' candy store, her annoying little sister and all of the good things and bad things about being in the third grade. STELLA BATS NEEDS A NEW NAME by Courtney Sheinmel will appeal to those just starting to read chapter books. For grades 2-4.

AUGUST 2012

ALLIE FINKLE’S RULES

This book is number 3 in the series (Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls) but if you haven’t read the first two, no worries, you will still be amused and entertained.

Allie is a typical fourth grader who after the winter school vacation is really excited to go back to school and be with her friends again. When she finds out that in addition to her usual friends, there is going to be a new girl, she becomes even more excited. Unfortunately as she starts her regular week at school, she realizes that the girl, whom she hoped could have become one of her own friends, is the exact opposite of her.  Cheyenne, the new girl, is rude, angry all the time and has the tendency to bully people around her. She tries to replace Allie‘s and her friends’ innocent recess games with inappropriate games such as chase and kiss, hoping to ‘recruit’ friends.  Allie of course, being the smart and kind person finds many ways to fight her rival.

You will fall in love with Allie and her friends and would want to read the entire series…

BEST FRIENDS AND DRAMA QUEENS by MEG CABOT For grades 3rd-5th. 



A SPECIAL VALENTINE

A review from Vivian, Children's Librarian at the Casa Verdugo Branch. 

A Giant Crush by Gennifer Choldenko

It's Valentine’s Day and everyone in class is gearing up to receive their Valentine’s Day cards.  The majority of the students in class receive standard size Valentine cards except for Cami the rabbit, who receives a flower, an extra big and extra special card.  Why would Cami receive such special treatment? 

First crushes can sometimes be fun and exciting.  A lighthearted story for those who may not always see themselves as likeable.  

For ages 3-8 years old.

WHAT'S YOUR TALENT

From Jennifer, Children's Librarian, at the Montrose-Cresenta Branch:
In “Justin Fisher Declares War!” by James Preller, Justin starts third grade with a spectacular fall. Thrown into the spotlight, he must choose—school nerd or class clown. Brushing himself off, he makes a joke. But it doesn’t stop there. Justin constantly needs attention to stroke his fragile ego. At first, kids welcome the distraction from school monotony. By fifth grade, though, it’s no longer funny. Justin’s relentless teasing has cost him friends and hurt his popularity. Even worse, his fifth grade teacher has no sense of humor.

What if your talent was making people laugh? And one day, people stopped laughing? Justin must save his image. When given the chance to MC the school’s talent show, he jumps. Can he do it, without making fun of other kids?

A funny, crowd-pleaser for reluctant readers. Grades 3-5.

PLEASE WRITE IN THIS BOOK

Ms. Wurtz has a great group of kids in her class and each one has a unique personality and style. There's Milton-- he's really smart; Luke (whose name rhymes with puke) is the class clown; Lizzy, who tends to be a bit bossy; and Yoshi, a dedicated friend. To get the class to practice their writing skills, Ms. Wurtz puts a class journal in the Writer's Corner. Unfortunately, the messages, thoughts and drawings in the class journal get way out of hand. What starts off as creative and fun, then turns into broken friendships, tears, and jeer. Will Ms. Wurtz intervene and make everything right or will the class have a creative solution?

Students in the 3rd thru 5th grades, as well as teachers who are interested in adding a journal to their writing center, will find Mary Amato's book delightful, sometimes gross, and fun! Eric Brace's illustrations bring the story to life.